Device for changing the direction of means of transport

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for changing the direction of means of transport ( 02 ), on which feed rollers may be transported. Said device comprises a lower section and an upper section ( 07 ) pivotably mounted on the lower section. The means of transport is arranged on the side, or top of the upper section and the upper section may be pivoted by an angular amount relative to the lower section, by means of operating a drive unit ( 12, 13, 14 ). Said drive unit comprises a drive motor, the output of which is transmitted to the upper section by means of a drive belt ( 17 ). Said drive output is transmitted from the drive motor to the drive belt by means of a positive drive and from the drive belt to the upper section by means of a friction drive.

[0001] The invention relates to devices in accordance with the preambles of claims 1, 6 or 9 for changing the direction of conveying means.

[0002] Turntables are known from DE 39 10 444 C2, which can be rotated by 180° for coordinating the roll-off direction of horizontally stored supply rolls.

[0003] Rotatable turntables are known from WO 98/12133 A1, which have guides crossing each other and are provided with sets of track for receiving supply roll conveying carts. These turntables are rotatable over at least 90° up to preferably 360°, so that the supply roll conveying carts can be shifted between crossing sets of track.

[0004] DE 41 19 407 A1 discloses turntables which are driven by means of a belt via an interspersed friction clutch.

[0005] DE 40 06 486 A1 shows a turntable for moving gears, which is driven by a drive motor, positively connected via a toothed belt.

[0006] DE 43 45 090 A1 describes a turntable which is frictionally driven by mean of a cable.

[0007] The object of the invention is based on creating devices for changing the direction of conveying devices.

[0008] In accordance with the invention, the object is achieved by means of the characteristics of claims 1, 6 or 9.

[0009] The advantages which can be achieved by means of the invention reside in particular in that an effective overload protection is achieved by the frictional force transfer from drive belts to the horizontally swivelable upper element of the device. Since forces can be transferred by friction between the drive belt and the upper element only up to a defined maximum value, exceeding this maximum value is assuredly prevented. This means that if greater forces act between the drive belt and the upper element, the upper element slips in respect to the drive belt and damage of other components, for example the motor or certain gear elements, is impossible. An adjustable tensioning roller in particular, which can be brought in contact with the drive belt in various positions, can be employed for setting the forces which can be maximally transferred between the drive belt and the upper element. The tension of the drive belt can be changed by changing the position of the tensioning roller, from which correspondingly higher or lower values of the forces transferred by the frictional connection result.

[0010] A further advantage of the invention rests in particular in that the force transfer between the drive mechanism and the upper element can be selectively interrupted by means of a coupling device. The drive mechanism and the upper element are kinematically coupled with each other in a first operational state of the coupling device, so that every positional change of the drive mechanism causes a positional change of the upper element, and each positional change of the upper element causes a positional change of the drive mechanism. In a second operational state of the coupling device, the upper element and the drive mechanism are kinematically decoupled from each other, so that the drive mechanism and the upper element can be moved independently of each other. By means of this it is made possible, in particular when the drive mechanism fails, to decouple the upper element from the drive mechanism by activating the coupling device, so that the upper element can be manually horizontally swiveled by the operator.

[0011] So that the decoupling of the drive mechanism from the upper element can be performed as quickly as possible in connection with devices arranged under the floor, it is possible to operate the coupling device preferably from the top of the device.

[0012] So that the coupling device can be manually decoupled, in particular in case of an electrical failure, it should preferably also be at least manually operable.

[0013] An adjustable tensioning roller in particular can be employed as a coupling device, which can be brought into contact with the drive belt in at least two positions. In the first position the tensioning roller tenses the drive belt at least sufficiently strongly so that a driving force can be frictionally transferred from the drive belt to the upper element. In the second position the tensioning roller is relaxed at least sufficiently for the upper element to be rotated in respect to the lower element substantially without having to overcome frictional forces acting between the drive belt and the upper element. The drive mechanism can be coupled in or out by displacing the tensioning roller between the two positions.

[0014] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is represented in the drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows.

[0015] Shown are in:

[0016]FIG. 1, a schematically represented device in a view from above,

[0017]FIG. 2, the belt drive of the device in FIG. 1 in a view from above,

[0018]FIG. 3, the belt drive in FIG. 2 in a cross-sectional view along the section line I-I.

[0019] A device 01 for changing the direction of conveying means 02, for example rail-guided conveying carts 02, on which horizontally placed supply rolls can be conveyed, is represented in FIG. 1. The device 01 is arranged in a recess 32 of a base body 31 in the crossing area between two crossing sets of tracks 03 and 04. The conveying means 02, on which a horizontally placed supply roll can be conveyed, can be displaced in the longitudinal direction on the sets of tracks 03 and 04, as indicated by the directional arrow 06 in FIG. 1.

[0020] A rotatably seated upper element 07 of the device 01 on which a section of track 08 for receiving the conveying means 02 is provided can be horizontally swiveled in accordance with the directional arrow 09 until the track section 08 is aligned with the sets of tracks 03 or 04. Then the conveying means 02 is displaced until is is completely arranged on the upper element 07 of the device 01. Thereafter, the upper element 07 can be swiveled by 90° or, if required for aligning the supply rolls in a defined longitudinal direction, by 180° or 270°. By means of this the track section 08 is aligned with the set of tracks 04 and can be further conveyed in the direction of the set of tracks 03 or 04.

[0021] A drive motor 12 can be employed for driving the upper element 07 which is seated, rotatable around a central axis 11, on a lower element, not represented in FIG. 1, which is fixedly connected with the base body 31. A gear 13 and a driving pinion gear 14 are provided on the power take-off side of the drive motor 12, for example an electric motor 12. A driving disk 16 is fastened on the underside of the upper element 07 opposite the driving pinion gear 14. A belt 17, for example a toothed belt 17, is brought into positive engagement with the driving pinion gear 14 for transferring the torque provided by the drive motor 12 on the power take-off side. The belt 17 itself rests on the smooth-faced circumferential surface of the driving disk 16 and transfers the drive output in a non-positive way by means of the frictional forces acting between the circumferential surface and the belt 17.

[0022] For setting the tension of the belt 17 with which the belt 17 is stretched over the driving pinion gear 14 and the driving disk 16, it is possible to push a pivotably seated tensioning roller 18 against the belt 17.

[0023] The main components of the belt drive of the device 01 can be seen in a view from above in FIG. 2. The inside of the belt 17 comes into positive contact with the circumferential surface of the driving pinion gear 14, so that it is possible by means of a rotatory drive of the driving pinion gear 14 in accordance with the directional arrow 19 to cause a front- or rear-directed control movement of the belt 17, which is indicated by the directional arrow 21. The belt 17 itself rests against the smooth-faced circumferential surface of the driving disk 16. The driving disk 16 is frictionally driven by the inside of the belt 17, so that as a result a swiveling movement of the driving disk 16 and of the upper element 07 arranged above the driving disk 16 in accordance with a directional arrow 23 can be created. The drive arrangement 12, 13, 14 can be frictionally connected and the driving disk 16 positively connected with the belt 17.

[0024] The belt 17 is deflected by a deflection roller 24 and a tensioning roller 26 between the driving pinion gear 14 and the driving disk 16. The tensioning roller 26 is rotatably seated on a pivot arm 27. The pivot arm 27 can be pivoted around a shaft 29 in accordance with a directional arrow 28. Depending on the engagement of the pivot arm 27, the tensioning roller 26 is pressed against the belt 17 with a higher or lower pressure, so that the tension of the belt 17 can be changed by means of this.

[0025] The frictional forces which can be transferred from the belt 17 to the driving disk 16 are directly correlated with the tension of the belt 17, which can be affected by the tensioning roller 26. It follows from this that, with an appropriate relaxation of the belt 17 by swiveling the tensioning roller 26 outward, the drive output which can be maximally transferred between the belt 17 and the driving disk 16 can be changed. As soon as the belt 17 is relaxed to the extent that it essentially rests without contact pressure on the circumferential surface 22 of the driving disk 16, no drive output can be transferred from the driving pinion gear 14 to the driving disk 16.

[0026] As a result it is therefore possible to use the tensioning roller 26 in the manner of a coupling device by pivoting the pivot arm 27 toward the outside. By an appropriate tension on the belt 17, the belt 17 rests against the circumferential surface 22 of the driving disk 16 with such a high contact pressure that as a result the upper element 07 can only be swiveled while the driving pinion gear 14 is simultaneously rotating. If the tensioning roller 26 is displaced by pivoting the pivot arm 27, so that the belt 17 is essentially no longer tensed, the driving disk 16 can slide along the belt 17 essentially without resistance, so that for example the upper element 07 can be manually swiveled without the driving pinion gear 17 having to rotate along.

[0027] The function for the adjustment of the tension roller 26 is represented in FIG. 3. So that the device 01 can be arranged under the floor, a recess 32, which is only partially shown in FIG. 3, is provided in the base body 31, for example a bed, in which the device 01 can be arranged in such a way that the top of the upper element 07 essentially extends in the horizontal plane 33 defined by the top of the base body 31. In the exemplary embodiment represented, the drive mechanism of the device 01, essentially consisting of the drive motor 12, the gear 13 and the driving pinion gear 17, is also arranged in the recess 32, wherein the drive motor 12 is fastened to the bottom 34 of the recess 32.

[0028] The tensioning roller 26 is rotatably seated by means of a rolling bearing 35 on a bolt 36. The bolt 36 itself has been screwed into the pivot arm 27 on an end 37 of the pivot arm 27. The opposite end 38 of the pivot arm 27 has a cutout, in which a sleeve 39, for example embodied as a tube, can be fastened. A shaft 41 extends along the length of the interior of the sleeve 39. The lower end 42 of the shaft 41 has been glued by means of an adhesive into a cutout of the base body 31 used as an anchoring element. A tensioning element 44 which, in the embodiment represented is designed in the manner of a tensioning screw 44, can be actuated by screwing the tensioning screw 44 in. Starting at a defined insertion depth, the tensioning element 44 comes to rest indirectly by means of a washer 46 against the upper end 47 of the sleeve 39. By further feeding in of the tensioning element 44, the distance between the bottom 34 and the underside of the washer 46 is increasingly shortened, so that as a result the sleeve 39 can be clamped between the washer 46 and the base body 31 by feeding in the tensioning element 44. So that the tensioning force exerted through the increasing feeding in of the tensioning element 44 rises as continuously as possible and not suddenly, an elastic element 48, for example a rubber washer 48, is arranged between the lower end 45 of the sleeve 39 and the bottom 34, which is elastically compressed when the sleeve 39 is clamped.

[0029] To change the tension of the belt 17, the tensioning element 44 is released sufficiently far, so that the sleeve 39 can be turned on the shaft 41. Because of this the position of the tensioning roller 26 relative to the belt 27 changes, so that the desired belt tension can be set. For actuating the coupling device, which is substantially constituted by the tensioning roller 26, the pivot arm 27, the sleeve 39 and the shaft 41, simply and essentially without having to disassemble other components, a cutout 49 is provided above the tensioning element 44 in a cover plate 51, by means of which the recess 32 can be covered. A tool, for example a socket wrench, can be passed through the cutout 49 and the tensioning element 44 can be actuated in this manner.

[0030] For setting the tension of the belt 17 it is advantageous when the tensioning element 44 need not be completely released for resetting the pivot arm 27, since otherwise it would be necessary during the adjustment of the pivot arm 27 to simultaneously hold the sleeve 39 in place and to tighten the tensioning element 44. For this reason, surfaces 53 on which tools can act are provided at the upper end 47 of the sleeve 39, for example in the way of a hexagon 53, with which a tool for rotating the sleeve 39 can be brought into engagement. In that case, for adjusting the pivot arm 27 the tensioning element 44 is only sufficiently loosened so that the sleeve 39 can be rotated with the aid of a tool, for example a hexagon sprocket. Following the adjustment of the pivot arm 27, the tensioning element 44 is again sufficiently tightened so that the sleeve 39 is clamped with a sufficient force. Thereafter, the cutout 49 in the cover plate 51 can be closed by means of an appropriately shaped cover element 52.

[0031] As a result, the coupling device constituted by the tensioning roller 26, the pivot arm 27, the sleeve 39 and the shaft 41 can therefore be manually actuated by loosening, or feeding in the tensioning element 44 and subsequent rotation of the sleeve 39. It is assured by this that the drive mechanism constituted by the drive motor 12, the gear 13 and the driving pinion gear 14 can be decoupled at any time, in particular in case of the failure of the drive mechanism, from the upper element 07 of the device 01, so that the upper element 07 can be manually swiveled by the operators.

[0032] Since the sleeve 39 and the shaft 41 extend upward as far as close to the underside of the cover plate 51, it is possible to operate the coupling device without having to disassemble other components, except for the cover plate.

[0033] The conveying means 02 is designed as a rail-guided conveying cart 02 for receiving paper rolls for conveyance to a roll changer of a rotary printing press.

[0034] List of Reference Symbols

[0035]01 Device

[0036]02 Conveying means, rail-guided conveying cart

[0037]03 Set of tracks

[0038]04 Set of tracks

[0039]05 -

[0040]06 Directional arrow (02)

[0041]07 Upper element (01)

[0042]08 Track section

[0043]09 Directional arrow (07)

[0044]10 -

[0045]11 Central axis

[0046]12 Drive motor, electric motor

[0047]13 Gear

[0048]14 Driving pinion gear

[0049]15 -

[0050]16 Driving disk

[0051]17 Belt, toothed belt

[0052]18 Tensioning roller

[0053]19 Directional arrow (14)

[0054]20 -

[0055]21 Directional arrow (17)

[0056]22 Circumferential surface (16)

[0057]23 Directional arrow (16)

[0058]24 Deflection roller

[0059]25 -

[0060]26 Tensioning roller

[0061]27 Pivot arm

[0062]28 Directional arrow (27)

[0063]29 Shaft

[0064]30 -

[0065]31 Base body

[0066]32 Recess

[0067]33 Horizontal plane

[0068]34 Bottom

[0069]35 Rolling bearing

[0070]36 Bolt

[0071]37 End (27)

[0072]38 End (27)

[0073]39 Sleeve

[0074]40 -

[0075]41 Shaft

[0076]42 End (41)

[0077]43 End (41)

[0078]44 Tensioning element, tensioning screw

[0079]45 End (39)

[0080]46 Washer

[0081]47 End (39)

[0082]48 Element, elastic, rubber washer

[0083]49 Cutout

[0084]50 -

[0085]51 Cover plate

[0086]52 Cover element

[0087]53 Surfaces on which tools can act, hexagon 

1. A device (01) for changing the direction of conveying means (02), having a lower element and an upper element (07), which is swivelably seated on the lower element, wherein the conveying means (02) can be arranged at or on the upper element (07), and the upper element (07) can be swiveled in respect to the lower element by means of a drive mechanism (12, 13, 14), wherein the drive mechanism (12, 13, 14) and the upper element (07) are coupled by means of a belt (17), characterized in that the drive mechanism (12, 13, 14) is positively, and the upper element (07) frictionally connected with the belt (17), or the drive mechanism (12, 13, 14) is frictionally, and the upper element (07) positively connected with the belt (17).
 2. The device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the drive mechanism (12, 13, 14) has a drive motor (12), that a driving pinion gear (14), which can be brought into positive engagement with the belt (17), is provided on the drive motor (12).
 3. The device in accordance with claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a driving disk (16) with a substantially smooth-faced circumferential surface (22) is provided on the upper element (07), wherein the belt (17) can be brought into frictionally-connected contact with the circumferential surface (22).
 4. The device in accordance with one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the belt (17) is embodied as a toothed belt (17).
 5. The device in accordance with one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the tension of the belt (17) can be changed by means of a tensioning roller (26), which can be brought into contact with the belt (17) in various positions, so that the drive mechanism (12, 13, 14) and the upper element (17) can be decoupled.
 6. A device (01) for changing the direction of conveying means (02), having a lower element and an upper element (07), which is swivelably seated on the lower element, wherein the conveying means (02) can be arranged at or on the upper element (07), and the upper element (07) can be swiveled in respect to the lower element by means of a drive mechanism (12, 13, 14), characterized in that a coupling device (26, 27, 39, 41, 44) is arranged for the selective interruption of the force transfer between the drive mechanism (12, 13, 14) and the upper element (07) wherein, in a first operating state of the coupling device (26, 27, 39, 41, 44), the drive mechanism (12, 13, 14) and the upper element (07) are kinematically coupled with each other and, in a second operating state of the coupling device (26, 27, 39, 41, 44) are kinematically decoupled from each other, that the device (01) is arranged in a recess (32) of a base body (31), in particular a bed, wherein the coupling device (26, 27, 39, 41, 44) can be operated from the direction of the top of the device (01).
 7. The device in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the coupling device (26, 27, 39, 41, 44) can be manually operated.
 8. A device (01) for changing the direction of conveying means (02), having a lower element and an upper element (07), which is swivelably seated on the lower element, wherein the conveying means (02) can be arranged at or on the upper element (07), and the upper element (07) can be swiveled in respect to the lower element by means of a drive mechanism (12, 13, 14), characterized in that a coupling device (26, 27, 39, 41, 44) is arranged for the selective interruption of the force transfer between the drive mechanism (12, 13, 14) and the upper element (07) wherein, in a first operating state of the coupling device (26, 27, 39, 41, 44), the drive mechanism (12, 13, 14) and the upper element (07) are kinematically coupled with each other and, in a second operating state of the coupling device (26, 27, 39, 41, 44) are kinematically decoupled from each other, that the coupling device (26, 27, 39, 41, 44) has a tensioning roller (26), which can be selectively displaced between at least two positions, wherein the tensioning roller (26) tenses the belt (17) in the first position at least sufficiently strongly so that a driving force can be frictionally transferred from the belt (17) to the upper element (07), and wherein the belt (17) is at least sufficiently relaxed in a second position of the tensioning roller (26) that the upper element (07) can be swiveled in respect to the lower element substantially without having to overcome frictional forces acting between the belt (17) and the upper element (07).
 9. The device in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that the tensioning roller (26) is seated on a pivot arm (27) which can be pivoted on a shaft (41), wherein the pivot arm (27) can be fixed in at least two positions.
 10. The device in accordance with claim 9, characterized in that the end (38) of the pivot arm (27) facing away from the tensioning roller (26) is fastened on the circumference of a sleeve (39), through the interior of whose length the shaft (41) extends, wherein the first end (42) of the shaft (41) is fixed in place on an anchoring element, in particular the base body (31), and a tensioning element (44) is arranged on the second end (43) of the shaft (41), which can be brought into indirect or direct contact with the sleeve (39), wherein the sleeve (39) can be clamped between the tensioning element (44) and the anchoring element by operating the tensioning element (44).
 11. The device in accordance with claim 10, characterized in that surfaces (53) on which tools can act are provided on the sleeve (39), with which a tool for rotating the sleeve (39) in relation to the shaft (41) can be brought into engagement.
 12. The device in accordance with claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the tensioning element (44) has a tensioning screw (44), which can be screwed into the end of the shaft (41) and can be brought into indirect or direct contact with an end (47) of the sleeve (39), wherein the sleeve (39) can be clamped between the anchoring element, in particular the base body (31), and the tensioning screw (44) by screwing the tensioning screw (44) into the shaft (41).
 13. The device in accordance with one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the stationary end (42) of the shaft (41) is fastened to the bottom (34) of a recess (32), and that the shaft (41) extends sufficiently far upward so that the tensioning element (44) can be actuated from the top of the device (01) substantially without the disassembly of components.
 14. The device in accordance with one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the tensioning element (44) can be actuated through a cutout (49) in the cover plate (51), by means of which a recess (32) can be covered at least partially.
 15. The device in accordance with one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that through a cutout (49) in the cover plate (51), by means of which the recess (32) can be covered at least partially, a tool can be brought into engagement with the surfaces (53) on which tools can act provided for this on the sleeve (39).
 16. The device in accordance with claims 14 or 15, characterized in that the cutout (49) in the cover plate (51) can be closed by means of a cover element (52).
 17. The device in accordance with one of claims 10 to 16, characterized in that an elastic element (48) is arranged between the anchoring element, in particular the base body (31) and the front face at one end (45) of the sleeve (39).
 18. The device in accordance with one of claims 10 to 17, characterized in that the first end (42) of the shaft (41) has been glued into the anchoring element, in particular into the base body (31).
 19. The device in accordance with claims 1 or 6, characterized in that the upper element (07) has a track section (08) for receiving the rail-guided conveying means (02).
 20. The device in accordance with claims 1 or 6, characterized in that the conveying means (02) are embodied as a rail-guided conveying cart (02) for receiving supply rolls for conveyance to a rotary printing press. 